The Difference Between Flotsam and Jetsam
by CliosLibrarian
Summary: A little angsty/fluffy one shot of what happens when they pass by one of Neverland's sad places, and Emma discovers the price that she and Hook will pay for rescuing Henry.


The bay they had just entered sparkled like jewels in the burgeoning dawn, and the sound of bells that had preceded their arrival only increased as the ship sailed closer. No, not bells...something less melodious and more discordant than that. It sounded a bit like wind chimes, loud, and not quite in tune. It was grating at her ears and her heart rate increased with her dread.

In the week since they had arrived on Neverland's shores they had yet to find a hospitable place to dock, each cove and peninsula had its own brand of horror in store, it's own defense against intruders. They kept hopscotching around the island, with only short jaunts onto actual land to search and gather intelligence. Neverland guarded its secrets and its inhabitants in a jealous way, regardless of the activities of the Shadow and the Lost Ones. And Neverland was rejecting their presence. Not to mention the vengeful mermaids, the hungry plant life, and the disgruntled natives they had already encountered. It didn't help that the coastline was constantly changing, trying to ward them off. All except one.

"What the hell!" She whispered as the sunlight sharpened, revealing what the bay was full of. Bottles...thousands and thousands of bottles. Wine bottles, and soda bottles, old bottles of spirits...some having been there so long that they were being warped into distorted shapes by the tides. And as the light from the rising sun increased she could just make out the barest hint of something lodged inside each bottle.

"Oh god...these bottles. These are all messages in a bottle!", she exclaimed as she walked up to join Hook at the wheel. He gave her a grim smile, reflecting ruefully for a moment on her sharp mind, even in the wee hours of the morning. He exhaled in a long sigh, trying to sound put upon. "Swan...I thought I told everyone to stay belowdecks until we cleared this bay...".

"I couldn't help it, I just had to see what the noise was..." She said so quietly that if he hadn't been staring at her lips he would have missed it amidst the clamor. She turned from him and looked back out upon the bay, her back stiffening as she wrapped her arms around herself. She was quiet for a long time, watching with morbid fascination as the ship slowly cut through the waves full of bottles, their glass clinking against the hull...and to her it was now the sound of unanswered wishes and dreams.

"I should know by now that giving your orders is pointless. I had hoped to spare you this sight. You, in particular."

"I don't want you to spare me anything!" She retorted angrily, glaring back at him over her shoulder, her eyes blazing. He had been very dodgy about letting her go to shore at all in the last week, claiming that he needed his first mate to stay with the Roger during the scouting missions. Two on the ship, and four on shore. He made it no secret that he was delighted that she had experience with sailing and had drafted her on the spot, entrusting only her to steer the ship when he needed a break. But she knew that wasn't the extent of it. He didn't want her spending any time on shore for some reason that he wasn't willing to share. "And why me, "in particular"?" She asked, her eyes narrowing, chafing at the suggestion that he thought she needed shielding and coddling.

"Are you going to tell me that one of those hundreds, nay thousands, of bottles isn't yours?"

Her mouth dropped in shock, his words struck her like an arrow. Despite herself, she moved quickly back down to the rail of the ship to look.

"Don't." He said right by her left ear, having moved very suddenly to join her, after securing the wheel's position with a rope. His hand warm and insistent on her shoulder. It was a mark of how thrown she was that she didn't shrug his hand off. He felt a small measure of satisfaction that he was the only one she was showing any emotion to these last few days, even if it was in the form of anger or annoyance.

He continued gently, "If you look for it, you will find it...but trust me when I say you won't want to."  
"Why?"  
"It won't just be the words that you will be uncorking...the emotions, the pain, and the need that prompted you to write a message and place your hopes in a bottle and send them out to sea...all of that will come back to you in a rush. And it will only serve to anchor you..." He broke off suddenly, as though he had said too much.

"Oh..." She said as she shuddered at the thought, confusion laced in her voice. He shifted her slightly with his hand, adjusting her to face him.

"I keep telling you Swan...this island is sentient, it knows we are here. It knows what we fear, and what we seek to hide. It knows what we have lost." He said earnestly, willing her to understand.

"I didn't lose my son...he was taken!" She protested stubbornly, attempting to pull away, but he held her firmly with his right hand, willing her to look him in the eyes.

"Aye, and that fact is why we will succeed. We will find him lass, and when we do, the island will allow him to leave. He is not a lost boy. He is loved and cherished...gods, he has more family than he knows what to do with!" He said, attempting some levity while trying to reassure her, and she rewarded him with a slow smile.

"Yeah...yes, of course." She nodded, but suddenly her forehead scrunched up as a thought occurred to her. He could almost pinpoint the moment when she realized, when it hit her. Her eyes went wide when she figured out why he had been so protective of her, why he had kept her on the ship, why he kept her so busy with ship duties.

She breathed in and out, trying to calm herself as her stomach fluttered uneasily.  
"Hook?"  
"Yes, lass?"  
"Will the island let me leave?"

He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. When he opened his eyes again and smiled sadly at her, digging his fingers more firmly into her shoulder, it was all the answer she needed. "That remains to be seen, lass...", he answered, no longer able to conceal the truth.

"That's why you don't want me to go ashore! You think the island will want me...will trap me...".  
"Yes, love...that's why you must stay focused on Henry, on our mission, don't let Neverland draw you in...don't give in to melancholy. You were a lost girl, you see...even though you never came here, you wanted to. And Neverland knows."

"But...what about you? Won't Neverland want you? Weren't you a lost boy too?"  
"Oh yes...when I was here the last time, I was very careful to limit my time on the island for just that reason."  
"But you have been on land! You have led every trip to shore! You won't be able to leave either!" She said, horrified, her hand moving up to clutch his. His surprise at the gesture was open and honest, he blinked, looking at her in undisguised wonder.

A bit of anger and frustration rose up, spilling out with her next words as she shook her head at him."Hook, you can't protect me me from this! I have to do whatever it takes. I will have to go on land. This is what I am good at...finding people. I have to find my son, as soon as possible! He is all alone, surrounded by enemies. I...I can live with the consequences...but you, I don't understand...if you knew?" She trailed off, more confused than ever. They had yet to talk about why he came back, why he allowed Regina and the Dark One on his ship. She had tried not to think about it.

Hook was utterly flabbergasted. She was worried, for him...for the vengeful, broken-hearted pirate that had unwittingly contributed to the kidnapping of her son. This beautiful & brilliant woman, who didn't think he was aware of all the times she had already protected him, who was as fierce a warrior as he had ever encountered. She would do anything to protect her son, to protect her new found family. She wouldn't be kept from shore now, that he knew. He only hoped that her heart was full and free enough to be able to escape Neverland's true curse when the time came.

He also knew that he would do anything to help her rescue Henry, he had resolved himself. He had many reasons, sure...Henry was Milah's grandson, Baelfire's child, and he was tired...so tired of being angry, of being sad, of being alone. But he knew deep down, those were just excuses. From the first time she had bested him, grasping his hair and holding a knife to his throat, calling him out as a liar...he simply never stood a chance.

"Why?" She found herself asking finally, looking deep into his eyes.  
"You know why." He said simply, daring her to argue.

They stared at each other for a few moments until finally she shook her head and let out the breath she had been holding.

"Stupid pirate." She said quietly, but fondly, as she threaded her fingers through his, moving their joined hands away from her shoulder to her side. His smile, the one she had drawn out of him in the giant's lair, came out of hiding again, and slowly transformed into a smirk.

"Well lass...like I said..it remains to be seen. Stay true to our goal, stay focused on Henry, and with a little faith..."  
"...a little trust and a little pixie dust?" She interrupted, with a wistful smile.  
"Aye...that, and the fact that you have found your family...you may escape Neverland's clutches yet."  
"And what about you?" She prodded, leaning closer to him, squeezing his hand for emphasis.  
"Ah, well...I like my chances...", he said unsteadily, his eyes glazing over as he tried to school his face to conceal the turmoil of the emotions that swirled in his chest. He gently pulled his hand out of her grasp to twirl an errant lock of hair out of her face. Then he locked eyes with her and said, "...after all, I'm not lost anymore...".

Without warning, Emma rocked forward onto her toes and closed the distance between them to press a soft, gentle kiss on his lips. He thought his heart would stop from the shock, but his body was already reacting, kissing her back with a tenderness that made her smile against his lips. She drew back from him and saw that his eyes were closed.

"Look at me." She demanded, her tone serious, even if her voice was a little shaky. His eyes snapped open and she continued then, her voice like steel. "I am not leaving you behind."

He started to argue, to make a quip, but she shook her head.  
"I am not leaving you...so focus on Henry, focus on me...hell, focus on punching Rumplestiltskin in the face when we get back to Storybrooke if you have to..but we are going back...all of us. Agreed? You and me, we are leaving this godforsaken place along with the rest of them after we kick Pan's ass and throw Tamara and Greg into a volcano!"

"Aye, aye Captain...but I already have my focus." He said softly, smiling at her determination.

She looked in his eyes, searching for hesitation or untruth, and finding none, she grabbed him firmly by the jaw and kissed him more insistently this time, her lips making promises that she could not yet confess in words. He answered her in turn, with vows of his own, kissing her so soundly that she forgot to breathe and finally had to pull away with reluctance.

"Wow...well...as long as we have that straight...", she said, tucking her chin into his shoulder as she allowed him to pull her into his arms, feeling a little embarrassed at her own boldness.  
"Yes, uh...I think that...clarified things..." He mused, nuzzling his face into her hair.

They pulled apart suddenly as they heard footsteps on the stairs below. Her parents came quickly into view, followed by Regina and Rumplestiltskin.

"What a racket!" Regina said sleepily, the significance of the bottles lost on her and the Charmings, it seemed.

"So...what is the plan for today?" Charming asked, sparing Emma a kind smile of greeting.  
"Well, Swan and I were just discussing that, majesty. She would like to lead the search party today from Skull Rock...and I am inclined to agree with her. It's time we faced this head on."

Rumplestiltskin piped up immediately to argue,"Ah but, Emma..."  
Hook interrupted quickly, "Someone else will have to stay with the ship today. David, you have been a quick study...can you handle the old girl for me? And perhaps your lovely wife should stay with you and keep watch in the crows nest with her deadly aim?" He motioned for David to walk with him up to the helm.

David's eyes widened in surprise at the trust that Hook was extending to him.  
"Of course!" And he and Snow shared a smile and a hug before he walked over to the wheel and she headed up the rigging, climbing up to her post after a small wink to Emma. Regina went downstairs to prepare for the journey, leaving Emma and the Dark One standing at the rail.

Rumplestiltskin's eyes narrowed as he turned to study Emma's face. She nodded to him, almost imperceptibly, and he sighed and nodded curtly in turn. He spared a quick glance up towards Snow and then over at David, but Emma just shook her head.

"And if the island won't give you up? What then? They won't leave without you." He said, as quietly as possible.  
"Then you will have to make them leave, won't you? For Henry!" She hissed at him as she walked away, heading down into the bowels of the ship, brooking no further argument.

"Oh Emma...and leave you here alone?" He whispered to himself, or so he thought.

"If it comes to that, she won't be alone..." Hook said from right behind him as he walked up to watch the bay of bottles fade from view, the clanging turning into tinkling as they picked up wind and sped away. The Dark One bristled, intending to keep his eyes on the water and ignore his old enemy. He watched the bottles bob and sink and spin in the sunlight.

"I won't leave her..." Hook continued gruffly, not caring whether Rumplestiltskin believed him or not as he walked away to join Emma in the storage room.

"No...you won't...will you?" Rumplestilkin admitted grudgingly, though Hook never heard his reply. "Sometimes it's hell being right all the time" he said, to no one in particular.


End file.
